The Vril-ya were a fictional race of advanced, winged humanoids featured in the 1871 science fiction novel “The Coming Race” by Edward Bulwer-Lytton[2]. They lived in a utopian, technologically-advanced society deep underground and possessed powerful psychic abilities to manipulate a mysterious life-force energy called “Vril”[2].
Key characteristics of the Vril-ya
– Winged humanoid appearance with both male (An) and female (Gy) members[2]
– Telepathic and other psychic powers, including the ability to heal, destroy, and control matter with Vril energy[2]
– Technologically-advanced society living in a vast network of caverns, with architecture resembling ancient Egypt, Sumeria and India[1][2]
– Utopian, peaceful culture with equality between men and women, who initiate romantic relationships[2]
– Descendants of an antediluvian civilization who fled underground to escape a great flood[2]
Physical Description
In The Coming Race, Edward Bulwer-Lytton provides a detailed physical description of the Vril-ya, the advanced humanoid race. They are characterized by several distinctive features:
1. Height and Build: The Vril-ya are described as being taller than average humans, about 7 feet high, with a more robust and muscular build. Their physicality reflects strength and agility.
2. Skin and Hair: Their skin is noted to be smoother and more refined, often described as having a radiant quality. They have long hair, which is typically depicted as flowing and luxurious. Some Vril-ya have “dark-red skin,” which is considered to represent the most ancient lineage, while others possess much fairer complexions, including blue eyes and deep golden auburn hair.
3. Wings: One of the most striking features of the Vril-ya is their wings. These wings are large “reaching to the knee” and powerful, allowing them to fly, which is a significant aspect of their identity and capabilities. The wings, in repose, are “thrown back so as to form a very graceful mantel.” The wings are described as optional. They are inventions and the Vril-ya can choose to wear them or not. They “fastened round the shoulders with light but strong springs of steel” and they “are composed from the feathers of a gigantic bird that abounds the rocky heights of the country, the color mostly white, but sometimes with reddish streaks. When expanded, the arms slide through loops, forming as it were a stout central membrane. As the arms are raised, a tube becomes by mechanical contrivance inflated with air, increased or decreased at will by the movement of the arms, and serving to buoy the whole form as on bladders. The wings and the balloon like apparatus are highly charged with Vril and when the body is thus lofted upward, it seems to become singularly lightened of its weight. When the wings were spread, it was scarcely possible not to soar.
4. Facial Features: The Vril-ya possess refined facial features, often described as more symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing than those of humans. Their eyes are particularly emphasized, being bright and expressive.
5. Clothing: They wear simple yet elegant garments, often made from materials that seem to shimmer or glow, reflecting their advanced civilization and aesthetic sensibilities.
Overall, the Vril-ya are depicted as a physically superior race, embodying the ideals of strength, beauty, and advanced capabilities, which serve to contrast with the narrator’s human characteristics and societal norms.
In 1891, a London event called the “Vril-ya Bazaar and Fete” was held at the Royal Albert Hall to celebrate Bulwer-Lytton’s novel, featuring decorations, costumes and entertainment inspired by the Vril-ya[1]. However, the event was poorly received and a financial failure.
While the Vril-ya were fictional, the concept of “Vril” energy went on to influence later conspiracy theories about secret societies and Nazi occult beliefs[3][4][5]. But there is no evidence the Vril-ya or a real “Vril Society” ever existed outside of Bulwer-Lytton’s novel and the imagination of later fringe theorists.
Summary of the Story
“The Coming Race,” originally published as “Vril: The Power of the Coming Race” in 1871 by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, is a seminal work in the genre of science fiction. The novel explores themes of advanced civilizations, power dynamics, and social critique through the narrative of a young American mining engineer.
Main Plot Overview
The story begins with the protagonist, who, while exploring a deep mining shaft, discovers a hidden subterranean world inhabited by a superior race known as the Vril-ya. These beings possess extraordinary powers derived from a mysterious energy source called “Vril.” The Vril-ya are depicted as a highly advanced and harmonious society, characterized by their physical beauty, longevity, and a lack of conflict, which starkly contrasts with the chaotic and flawed nature of humanity above ground.
Themes and Significance
The novel delves into various philosophical and social issues, including:
– Utopian Ideals: The Vril-ya society embodies ideals of peace, equality, and communal living, presenting a critique of contemporary social structures and political systems of Bulwer-Lytton’s time.
– Power and Technology: The concept of Vril symbolizes a potent force that can be harnessed for both creation and destruction, raising questions about the ethical implications of power and technological advancement.
– Humanity’s Flaws: Through the protagonist’s observations, Bulwer-Lytton critiques human society’s shortcomings, such as war, corruption, and inequality, suggesting that humanity might be inferior to the Vril-ya in moral and intellectual capacities.
The Mothman Incident
One researcher drew a connection between the Vril (which is supposedly fictional) and the Mothman, a true story of a huge man-like flying creature sighted in Point Pleasant West Virginia in 1966 by many different credible witnesses. Both the Mothman and the Virl-ya are about 7 ft tall, they have legs and huge wings and both fly by lifting straight up without needing to do much if any wing flapping. That is where the similarity ends, however, as the Mothman is described as more of a monster with huge red glowing eyes and no visible head or arms. It is hard to say if there could be any connection. One might speculate that Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s writing was based upon some real sightings by someone in his time of a similar being.
Conclusion
As the narrative unfolds, the protagonist learns about the Vril-ya’s plans to eventually claim the surface world, posing a potential threat to humanity. The novel ends ambiguously, leaving readers to ponder the implications of such a powerful race and the fate of mankind.
“The Coming Race” has had a lasting impact on science fiction, influencing later works and discussions about utopian societies, the nature of power, and the potential consequences of technological progress[11][13][14].
Listen to the Story
Read More
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vril-Ya_Bazaar_and_Fete
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vril
[3] https://www.reddit.com/r/CODZombies/comments/50j6k4/what_is_the_vril_ya_and_how_does_it_play_in/
[4] https://villains.fandom.com/wiki/Vril-Ya
[5] https://www.dummies.com/article/academics-the-arts/history/conspiracy-theories/alien-secrets-the-vril-society-200890/
[6] https://valsec.barnesandnoble.com/w/vril-the-power-of-the-coming-race-edward-bulwer-lytton-lytton-bar/1018973449?ean=9781595478856
[7] https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Vril.html?id=FOU8mAEACAAJ&redir_esc=y
[8] https://www.amazon.ca/Power-Coming-Edward-Bulwer-Lytton/dp/1936690802
[9] https://www.abebooks.com/9781936690800/Vril-Power-Coming-Race-Lytton-1936690802/plp
[10] https://www.fossilhunters.xyz/ancient-wonders/vril.html
[11] https://www.supersummary.com/the-coming-race/summary/
[12] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vril
[13] https://broadviewpress.com/product/the-coming-race-2/
[14] https://www.amazon.com/Coming-Race-Edward-Bulwer-Lytton/dp/1636001262
[15] https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1014436.The_Coming_Race
